Rapid prototyping has made RC vehicles and robots easier to design. The spread of 3D printing as a manufacturing technology has made them easier to make. Now it is time to fully complement the miniature RC environment with any accessory you can think of for your RC vehicle’s garage. Top Shelf Hobby wants to help you to help them help you do just that.
So they turned to crowd-sourcing to upgrade their 3D printing capabilities, limited to the 4.5”-5” plate of the Up! and Afinia 3D printers they currently own. They launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise the $3500 they need offering a wide range of miniature models, including Starbucks miniature coffee cups and 2 function 1:10 scale jack Stands for you vehicle.
The campaign has not received much visibility yet (they might want to consider turning to Tindie) because funds currently stand at $10 from one backer. This clashes with the (credible) reports from the team behind Top Shelf Hobby that demand has been overwhelming.
The company started a year ago offering 1:10 scale RC accessories. They began with traditional methods, then moved on to 3D printing, producing the items in white ABS and then painting them to perfection. They now offer 1:10 scale miniatures of just about anything you’d find in a garage: wheels, jacks, sinks, shelves as well as bench grinders, oxyacetylene carts, vices, welding machines, lifts and even chainsaws and camp stoves.
They also offer some 1:8 scale and intend to introduce 1:12 scale items. The level of realism is amazing and the importance and availability of 3D printing technologies in making all this possible is clear. We’d suggest taking a look at this video to get an idea of Top Shelf’s miniature garage for yourself but the visual effects do not do it justice: it looks just like any real garage.
Garage:
Hobby Shop:
